Magnetta, who is this mysterious woman?

[Anonymous]

Magnetta and millions of her sisters were manufactured and produced in 1939 through the late 1940s by the Barclay Manufacturing Co., Inc. 316 Palisade Avenue, Union City, NJ.

Barclay was America’s most prolific toy soldier company. At its zenith, the late 1930s through the early 1940s, Barclay employed 400 workers and produced 20,000,000 toys a year.

All Barclay cast metal toy soldiers, slush cast vehicles, and civilian railroad figures were manufactured from an antimonial lead mixture consisting of approximately 87% lead and 13% antimony. Back then there were no “lead laws” prohibiting the use of lead in children’s toys.

Barclay’s woman passenger No. 610 (Magnetta) was sculpted and designed by a Miss. Olive Kooken. Ms. Kooken is also attributed with the sculpting and design of Barclay’s other #600 series 3" civilian railroad figures such as the well known: 611 Man Passenger; 612 Conductor; 613 Porter; 614 Red Cap; 615 Engineer; 616 Boy; 617 Girl; 618 Elderly Woman; 619 Old Man; 620 Minister; 621 Newsboy; 622 Shoeshine Boy; 623 Detective with pistol; 624 Burglar; 625 Bride; 626 Groom, and 627 Girl in Rocker.

Barclay’s Magnetta and her other family members stood approximately three inches tall and were great accessories for the larger Standard Gauge trains of the age.



One of Magnetta's sisters dressed in yellow

Barclay spent a bit more time and detail on the painting of the earliest figures. Most of the prewar figures even have a bit of white showing on the eyes, and a bit more attention to the quality of painting. Magnetta and her siblings were painted in all type of paint combinations.

It’s interesting to mention that these figures in the prewar years sold for a nickel apiece in Woolworth’s and other 5 and 10-cent stores. Today they are affectionately known to collectors as American Dimestore Figures.

Today the Barclay civilian railroad figures commanding the highest prices of around $75 and up, are the very desirable “Walking” Variation of the Minister, and the Detective and Burglar.

Next are the Brides and Grooms which usually sell for around $20 to $40.

Porters, Redcaps, Engineers and Conductors are a bit more desirable than the more common figures selling in the $15 to $30 price range.

Figures such as Magnetta (Woman Passenger), Man Passenger, Old Woman, Old Man, Girl and Boy, are considered to be quite common and are easily found at train shows, toy soldier shows and antique toy shows. They range in price, and sell between collectors, anywhere from around $8 to $20, depending upon condition.

BillFromWayne
www.modeltrainjournal.com

[nblum]

Thanks for the fascinating background Bill.

I've heard that Magnetta and her friends, after their pinup days, finished their working careers at a restaurant decorated in combined steam locomotive and French cinema themes called "Hooteurs" in Irvington, NJ. Anyone who got out of line could count on being reprimanded in classy Parisian French and then, if necessary, clobbered by the Lionel Hellgate bridge Magnetta kept near the waitress station.

[FJ and G]

Very fascinting stuff Bill and Neil.

[brianel027]

Very interesting Bill. Sounds like this could solve the real mystery.

This flies in the face of what I had heard... that Magnetta is a modern-day equal to the once infamous "Tokyo Rose." She has no standards, morals or scruples and makes her broadcasts to any train company. I have a transcript of one of her recent broadcasts:

"Dear brave employee soldiers of the (insert company name). Why do you struggle onward [B)] in your trenches? You are tired aren't you? You re-arm your inventory only to see it get blownout [%-)]. Our well-trained full equipped army of lawyers [:o)]
have you completely surrounded [dinner]. You would be advised to make the only wise decision to surrender instead of continuing to fight [X-)], you will be treated fairly as prisoners of the model train business as according to the rules laid out under the YORK accord for prisoners of the model train business. Remember, nobody loves you anymore except me... your sweet concerned [:X] Magnetta."

[:D] [:D] [:D]

[Jumijo]

This Magnetta gal, pictured in Bill's opening post (looking quite lovely in yellow) looks very familiar to me. I recently bought a new assortment of Model Power's O gauge figures (Item Number 490-6172) from my LHS and two of them look just like Magnetta, right down to that odd thing she's leaning on.

So, what is that she's leaning on?!

Jim

[Anonymous]

Looks to me as it were a Violin in a case she is leaning on.

[Anonymous]

Unless it is a tennis raquet case

[Anonymous]

I have a copy of an original old Barclay catalog page from the 1930s and it appears as she's leaning on a either a violin case or tennis racquet. On her other side is a dog.

In the mid-'50s Barclay produced a range of smaller figures, very similiar to their 3" figures. These smaller figures stand around 1 1/4" tall. They even manufactured a 1 1/4" version of Magnetta, which is very rare to find today!

BillFromWayne
www.modeltrainjournal.com

[Jumijo]

A violin case? I sure hope all she's got in there is a violin. She looks like a toughie if you ask me.

Jim

[Anonymous]

She's a toughie alright. Can you imagine a woman made of 87% lead, 13% antimony, with a slight trace of arsnic!
BillFromWayne
www.modeltrainjournal.com